Christmas at 221B
by happy-rea
Summary: Title says all. John/Sherlock.


Beta'd by mypretend. A/N at the bottom.

ENJOY

Christmas at 221B

Christmas morning at 221B Baker Street started much like any morning; at 4am with Sherlock playing his violin. John was used to this and slept right through it, but his sister Harry – who had stayed the night – was not.

"What are you doing?" she asked angrily.

"Playing the violin," Sherlock replied in his I-can't-believe-you-would-ask-such-a-stupid-question voice that he had perfected over the years.

"In the middle of the night?" Harry hissed. Sherlock looked at the clock.

"It's 4," He said simply.

"Exactly," Harry replied, thinking she had made her point.

"But 4 isn't the middle of the night. That would be midnight, though you could put up a good case for midnight not being the middle of the night at this time of the year – that would be 3am..." He paused for a bit before continuing, "Actually, as you are awake could you make me some tea? John won't be awake for some time and I don't want to wake him. He had another nightmare last night."

Harry glared at him but softened it a bit, as the sociopath really did care about her brother. She threw her arms up in disbelief before storming into the kitchen to make some tea. Sherlock started playing his violin again almost straight away.

At 8, John came out of his room and trudged into the lounge still half asleep as he had yet to have his morning coffee. He kissed his boyfriend before starting to make breakfast and the well needed coffee.

When he had done so, he sat on the armrest of Sherlock's chair. "Morning Harry, sleep well?"

"Well, I slept fine until 4, when someone decided to play his bloody violin. I didn't sleep so well after that."

John laughed. "What was the puzzle this morning, Sherlock?"

"_Why_ you bothered getting my brother a Christmas present, and _what_ you got him," Sherlock replied. "I still haven't worked it out."

John sighed and pulled up his partner's sleeve and sighed again to see the three patches resting there. "You could have asked me, you know."

"You didn't sleep well," Sherlock replied pulling his sleeve back down.

"Well, I'm awake now" John snapped, annoyed that he still had the nightmares and that they were still so frequent. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair causing it to stick up even more. "Sorry, the present is from both of us, he got something because he's _your_ brother and it's from me as well because I'm _your_ partner. It's what partners do; presents come from both of them if they are serious enough."

Sherlock nodded, filing the information away in his brain. John had no doubt it would find itself in the bit of the brain that said the earth went round the sun, but he didn't mind. That was Sherlock and he loved him for it.

"As for what we got him, that would be a new umbrella as you ruined the last one when he came to give me the big brother speech." He leaned into Sherlock, who automatically shifted to put his arm around the older man.

"Oh," He gave John the small smile he reserved for him before asking again half a minute later. "And Lestrade?"

"He got his own chair to use in this place, Harry's sitting on it – I _know_ I mentioned it to you two days ago – but he also got a voucher which is worth you explaining to him once without the drugs bust. And before you ask the chair is for him to sit on in said drugs bust as you keep pushing him out of ours."

Sherlock nodded "Sounds fair."

"I'm glad you think so, now have some breakfast." John replied. Sherlock got up and started to help himself, knowing that his boyfriend would keep nagging him if he didn't. "And Sherlock," John said, causing him to pause and turn around "I'm grateful you didn't wake me, but next time I can help on a three patch problem, just skip the patches. Now you know the answer you can take them off."

Sherlock said nothing but pulled all three patches off and threw them into the bin.

Harry stared at the most unconventional couple she had ever seen before shrugging, and getting off the chair – if it was a Christmas present, she would feel better not using it. They were happy and gelled well with each other. It was never who she had imagined her brother ending up with but she was glad John had found someone who had rescued him when had come back from the war and who was still working on quietly putting the pieces of a broken John Watson back together.

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

After about half an hour of sitting in the lounge in thought, Sherlock asked quietly "John?"

"Mmn?" came the reply from the man who was leaning against him, almost going back to sleep.

"What do people do at Christmas? I mean, I read about it but..." He was stopped by a finger on his lips and John smiled up at him.

"Normal people or us?" He asked gently.

"Both," Sherlock replied "I never understood it."

"I can imagine Christmases in the Holmes family were difficult. Well, normal people give presents to their friends and loved ones – we've done that, too. Everyone has to say they love them, even if secretly they hate it – we're doing that one as well, you can rant at me in private later about the dullness of your presents. Christmas dinner, everyone eats as much as they possibly can and then a bit more just to make sure that you are completely full. I'm defiantly planning on doing that as I know Mrs Hudson will make us an amazing lunch."

"She's a very good not-housekeeper, isn't she?" Sherlock cut in.

"Very," John replied with a grin. "In the afternoon, most people play with their presents, talk to family, watch lame films on the TV and play games like scrabble. We _won't_ be doing that one, I refuse to play with either Holmes brother, it wouldn't be a game - it would be a competition of how many obscure words you know. You and Mycroft can play though. I can give you one extra rule for Christmas as well that is especially for the Holmes brothers: no telling everyone what you can work out from just looking at us. It's Christmas - there really is no need to psychoanalyse everyone. I know you and Mycroft can't help it," he said seeing Sherlock's face "But just today, don't tell us what you worked out from the wrapping paper or how Donovan and Anderson's affair is going from the way Lestrade signed the card. We don't need to know."

"Mycroft's coming?" Sherlock asked.

John nodded. "I invited him when he kidnapped me a couple of weeks ago, besides you don't think he would turn up a chance to meet Harry do you? Unless he already kidnapped her," he added thoughtfully.

"Oh she's not met him yet, you can tell from the look in her eyes when you mention him. She's too curious" Sherlock replied before giving a weak grin at John's glare. "Oh, final rule, I'll remember," he kissed the older man to apologise.

Harry was starting to feel uncomfortable, yes they were gorgeous together and yes she had been the one to get them together but still did they have to do that in front of her? She felt like the spare wheel so she coughed loudly and picked up the first present she could and threw it to them.

Sherlock grabbed it and looked at the label and then back at Harry suspiciously "I asked John for ideas" She explained, Sherlock was about to give a quick comeback when John elbowed him in the stomach so he opened it. Out of the parcel fell a new scarf almost identical to his current one, Harry laughed at his confused face "John said you needed a new one and I thought I would play it safe."

Sherlock nodded and put it down on the floor neatly folding the wrapping paper underneath, John passed Harry a present.

"It's from us." Harry ripped the wrapping paper open, making as much mess as she could – something she did because it annoyed John. She squealed in delight and ran to give her brother a hug in thanks.

"Finally, no one believes me when I tell them about you two especially when I describe Sherlock"

"It's a picture of the two of us" John whispered into Sherlock's ear when Harry wasn't looking "don't ask I don't know" Sherlock gave no obvious movement to show that he understood but he gripped his hand a bit tighter in thanks. Then he bent down and picked up an envelope but before he could give it to the person it was intended for Mycroft walked in.

"Honestly Sherlock, if you are going to invite me then you could at least open the door. You're landlady was a bit shocked."

"I said come for lunch" John replied coolly "We weren't expecting you until later, beside you know our mobile number just call us. How were we to know if you are three hours early?" He closed his eyes to calm down for a bit, the nightmare had been partially bad last night and he was slightly short tempered. To make things worse his brain had decided to forget that his leg wound was psychosomatic and it was flaring up again, badly. "Just put the presents under the tree Mycroft. And before you ask her Harry won't spy on us for you. And you are not allowed to tell us all what you can deduce from a single glance. It's Christmas. Now sit down"

Mycroft did so, he had got to know Doctor John Watson quite well over the past year and he could tell that his temper was decidedly shorter today than normal. He also spotted the way that he was rubbing his leg without trying to let them see he was doing so.

Sherlock smirked at the way his older brother was following orders but with one look at John he could see that saying anything would be a bad idea so he passed over the envelope. John opened it quickly and neatly, out fell a membership card. John gasped as he saw it was for the local shooting range.

"You've got a year fully paid and can go as often as you want" Sherlock said quietly not sure if he had made a good choice or not. John kissed him hard in thanks before Mycroft coughed and said dryly.

"I suppose it makes it my turn. Do I have to open it?"

"Yes" said John "Just for today we are going to pretend you didn't have someone following me when I got it."

The older Holmes opened his present much like the younger had and gave John a nod when he had done so to show his thanks. Then he passed over his present "I thought you might be needing these."

John looked at the papers he had been handed and almost gaped aloud in shock before he remembered Harry was in the room. They were papers that gave him a legal right to own a gun and to use it however he wanted. With these papers he could go anywhere, open fire and then leave without any comeback from it at all, well he might lose the papers but that would be it. They had been backdated to the day he had met Sherlock so there would be no legal come back from the people he had had to kill since then.

Sherlock had been very pleased with his present from John, his own microwave to do all his experiments with and had wanted to set it up immediately but decided against it from John and Mycroft's amused looks. He decided he would wait until John could no longer use the 'it's Christmas' excuse to stop him doing so.

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

Christmas dinner had been different to say the least but John wouldn't have it any other way. Mrs Hudson had made them a spectacular lunch just as he had predicated, she had also turned down their offer to eat with them saying that they should spend some time with their family. Harry wanted to know about all their adventures so John and Sherlock indulged her, telling her about all that they had done each taking a turn at narrating with Sherlock explaining all of his deductions and John taking the main bulk. Mycroft gave them half amused grins and would often comment on how they both deserve to side with him and how they could take over the world if the three of them put their mind to it. "Sherlock and I could be the brains and John can shoot people for us. No one would be able to stop us, it would be brilliant"

Harry had complained about the lack of alcohol but John had been adamant claiming that Sherlock and Mycroft were bad enough without the alcohol and he felt no need to see how good they were at holding their drink.

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

Mycroft left just after the Queen's speech and John was sure that he heard him muttering about how the 'stupid women deviated from the script.' Harry left a couple of hours later as she needed to get back home, leaving the two men together on the sofa.

"How bad is your leg?" Sherlock asked almost as soon as they heard Harry close the downstairs door.

"Bad" John replied shortly "I know that it is psychosomatic but that doesn't stop it from still hurting sometimes. I think it's seized up."

Sherlock started massaging it and John breathed in relief as the pain lessoned "you should have said" Sherlock reprimanded quietly.

"You and Mycroft already knew, no need to worry Harry" John said, they stayed like that for some time each lost in his one thoughts.

"Next Christmas let's get Mycroft to organise something so we'll have a case and not Harry. I can't go through that again." John said suddenly, glad that the day was over.

Sherlock laughed "Agreed, though you dealt with them both very well."

"Mycroft could see how my leg hurt and that I didn't sleep that well. And I've been dealing with Harry all my life" John replied.

"Normal is too much like hard work" Sherlock decided "Although it was an interesting experiment."

"Go on then" John said when the pain had almost completely gone, "my leg's fine now"

"I'm glad your leg is fine but is you could explain? Go on what?" Sherlock asked confused. John and Moriarty were the only people who could confuse him so much.

"I'm ready to hear all your deductions."

Sherlock laughed "I thought it couldn't tell you on Christmas."

"Changed my mind," John replied "I know you're bursting to tell me. I know you too well, Mr Holmes."

"Very well Doctor Watson, if my doctor orders it." Sherlock said slyly

John kissed him hard, glad that Harry had left. "Your doctor orders it, just let me get comfy and you can tell me everything." He shifted so he was curled up on half of the sofa with his head resting on Sherlock's shoulder. "Ok, shoot"

Sherlock smiled at his partner and started to explain everything. Soon however, he stopped as John had fallen asleep. The younger man smiled at the look of peace, hoping that John would be able to get a full night without it being disrupted by the nightmares, then he also started to shut his mind down and he too fell asleep, his arms wrapped around John like he was a large teddy bear.

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

They woke up the next morning both having slept through the whole night with a blanket covering them and a note on the table. Sherlock opened it and laughed; John opened his eyes and looked at Sherlock waiting for him to read it.

"_You looked so sweet I didn't want to disturb you._

_Happy Christmas_

_Mrs Hudson_

_P.S John please remember to tidy up, I'm not your housekeeper_."

John laughed as well and started to stretch glad that his leg felt fine when Sherlock's phone bleeped. Sherlock glanced at it and then grabbed his coat and new scarf "Murder, no one else will come in, so it will be us and Lestrade"

The doctor replied with an equally wide grin, "Let me put my shoes on and grab my coat and we'll go."

They ran down the stairs, the door slamming shut as they called to let Mrs Hudson know they would be out.

It was after all just a normal day at 221B Baker Street.

The End

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. I had fun writing it. Please review and go on my username to see a list of all of the stories I have written, even if they are not yet on the internet.

REVIEW!  
Happy-rea(der007)

BOUNCE BOUNCE BOUNCE


End file.
